Valve-gear for direct-acting steam-engines



(No Model.)

J. E. KELLEY. VALVE GEAR FOR DIRECT ACTING STEAM ENGINES. No. 476,148. Patented May 31, 1892.

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Join EZQZi/j @mod/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. KELLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE-GEAR FO R DIRECT-ACTING STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,148, dated May 31, 1892.

Application filed September 8. 1891. $erial No. 404,627. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. KELLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-Gear for Direct-Acting Steam-Pumps; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection With the accompanying drawin gs, which form a part thereof, is a full, clear, and exactdescription of my improvements, such as will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of steampumping engines in which the plunger of the pump is attached directly to the piston-rod, and the slide-valve for admitting steam into the cylinder is moved by a rocker-lever actuated by a collar or tappet upon the piston-rod. As now commonly constructed this class of pumping-engines is provided with a rockerlever of a certain length having, preferably,

anti-friction blocks on its opposite ends and a collar or tappet on the piston-rod adapted to engage said blocks alternately for rocking the rocking lever and moving the slide-valve for admitting steam alternately in the opposite ends of the cylinder. In experimenting with this class of pumping-engines for pumping deep wells I have found that it failed to perform its work properly and was subjected to a hard knocking at the end of its downward stroke, owing to the weight of the plunger, and this fact lead to the discovery of my invention, which wholly obviates the trouble.

My invention consists, essentially, in providing the rock-lever with adjustable tripping devices which can be independently adjusted in the direction of the length of the rocker lever, whereby the oscillation of the rockerlever for shifting the slide-valve can be regulated to suit the up-and-down stroke of the piston to the length and weight of plunger, which vary with the depth of the well, it being obvious that there should be a greater cushioning action of the piston, and consequently that the valve should be shifted more in the lead of the piston when it is on its downward stroke than when on its upward stroke.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will first describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, and

then more particularly point out in the claims what I deem as new therein.

In said drawings, Figure I is a side elevation of asimple form of steam-pumping engine, part of the supportirig-standards being broken away to show the arrangement of parts. Fig. II is an enlarged view of the rocker-lever with my improvements attached. Fig. III is a sectional view taken on the line III 111, Fig. II.

A is a suitable base, and B are standards extending up from said base. 0 is the steamcylinder supported on said standards and havin g a piston of any desired construction Working therein.

D is the valve-casing, in which operates the ordinary slide-valve for controlling the entry of steam into the opposite ends of the steamcylinder.

E is the piston-rod attached to the steampiston at its upper end, suitably connected at e to the pump-plunger F.

G is the valve-rod attached at one end to the slide-valve.

H is the rocker-lever pivoted at it upon the offset b of the standards and provided with the central bell-crank arm H, to which the other end of the valve-rod G is attached.

1 I is a collar or tappet mounted on the upper end of the pump-plunger F for operating the rocker-lever in a manner well understood.

At each of the opposite ends of the rockerlever H, I provide one of my improved adjustable tripping devices, the ends of the rocker-lever being rounded for this purpose.

K is a clamping-arm having its opposite ends is 7t bifurcated for the purposes presently to be explained, and an enlarged opening adj acent to the bifurcated end It, through which enlarged opening one of the rounded ends H passes.

L is a clamping-bolt passing through a suitable perforation in the bifurcated end 7t, and L is a screw-nut working on the screw-threaded end of said bolt,whereby the arm is clamped to the rocker-lever. In the bifurcated end k of said clamping-arm an anti-friction roller M is suitably journaled, as illustrated. N is a supporting-plate secured to the end of the rocker-lever H by a screw-bolt N, passing through a suitable perforation in said plate and seated in a suitable longitudinal screwthreaded perforation in said lever H. O is an adj listing-screw passing loosely through a perforation near the outer end of said plate Nand held fromlongitudinal movement therein by annular collars oon said screw on each side of the plate. clamping-arm K is a screw-threaded perforation into which the screw 0 engages, so that by turning the screw the arm can be moved up or down on the lever H and regulate the part of the stroke on which the valve is moved. 1 provide one of my improved tripping devices at each end of the rocker-lever, and as they are independently adjustable the shifting of the valve can be regulated to suit the up or down stroke and the weight of the pump plunger.

It is obvious that when it is desired to adjust the tripping device on the rocker-lever the clamping-bolt is loosened sufficiently to allow the device to be shifted by the adjusting-screw, and after it is shifted to the proper position again tightened to hold the device securely in place.

Other forms of valves for controlling the ad mission of steam into thecylinder could obviously be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

By this arrangement the engine can be adjusted to pump any well with ease of movement and without the injurious knocking which is incident to an engine in which the movement of the slide-valve is not properly timed toafford the necessary cushioning of the piston.

Having thus fully described my invention and the manner of carrying the same into practice, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patcut:

1. The combination of a steam-cylinder, the piston, the piston-rod, the collar or tappet, the valve controlling the entry of steam into the cylinder, the rocker-lever controlling said valve, and the longitudinally-adjustable tripping-arms mounted on said rocker-lever, substantially as set forth.v

2. The combination of a steam-cylinder, the piston, the piston-rod, the collar or tappet, the'valve controlling the entry of steam into Between the ends of the the cylinder, the rocker-lever controlling said valve, and the independently-adj ustable tripping devices mounted on the said rocker-lever, each of said devices consisting, essentially, of an adjustable arm mounted on the rocker-lever, and meansforadj usting said arm longitudinally on the lever, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a steam-cylinder, the piston, the piston-rod, the collar or tappet, the valve controlling the entry of steam into the cylinder, the rocker-lever controlling said valve, and the independently-adjustable tripping devices mounted on the said lever, each of said devices consisting of a longitudinally adjustable arm mounted on the rocker-lever, and an ad justing-screw for regulating the position of said arm, as set'forth.

4. The combination of a steam-cylinder, the

piston, the piston-rod,the collar or tappet,

the valve controlling the entry of steam to the cylinder, the rocker-lever controlling said valve, and the independently-adj ustable trip- I ping devices carried by said rocker-lever, each of said devices consisting of an arm mounted upon said lever and carrying an anti-friction roller in its outer end, a supporting-plate secured to the outer end of the rocker-lever, and

an adjusting-screw supported in said plate.

and engaging a suitable perforation in said arm, as set forth.

5. The combination of asteam-cylinder, the piston, the piston-rod, the collar or tappet,

the valve controlling the entry of steam tothe cylinder, the rocking lever controlling said valve, and the independently-adj ustable tripping devices carried by said rocker-lever, each of said devices consisting of an arm K,

mounted on the rocker-lever and bifurcated at its opposite ends .and provided with a clamping-screw at one end and a frictionroller at the other end, aplate M, secured to the outer end of the rocker-lever, and an ad-" justing-screw 0, supported in said plate and 

